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The Log of the 
Lone Sea Rover 

Being the Story of an 8000 Mile Voyage Alone 



CAPT. THOS. DRAKE 


Copyrighted 1917, by Capt. W. L. White. 







The Log of the 



Sea Rover 


BEING THE STORY OF THE 8000 MILE 
VOYAGE ALONE OF 

CAPT. THOS. DRAKE 


By CAPT. W. L. WHITE 

Author of “Sailing The Sun Set Sea/’ “The Mailer* 
Guide,” “The Home Office,” Etc. 


PRICE FIFTY CENTS 


Copyrighted 1917 
By CAPT. W. L. WHITE 


1 



THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 

k 

CHAPTER I 

CAPTAIN DRAKE OF THE SEVEN SEAS. STRANGE 
: OLD SHIPS. FISHING. TRADING. QUEER PORTS; 
OLD DAYS. 


Captain Thomas Drake was born in 1863 at Gravesend, 
England (on the Thames). From this place sailed the old- 
time square rigged ships of the Hudson Bay Fur Company, 
The famous “East Indian Men” — the Australian Gold Pack- 
ets — Tea Clippers as well as Artie Expeditions — Whalers — 
African and Island Traders. No wonder that as a boy he 
spent his time “fooling” around the water-side, carving mod- 
el ships and later going into the North Sea fishing vessels as 
“boy.” When he went to sea there was not the comforts 
and mechanical “gear” that make sea going so tame these 
days, compared with the old style vessels and voyages. He 
sailed in around a hundred vessels of all types from twenty 
feet open North Sea fishing sloops to great square-rigged 
ships and large cargo steamers. A few voyages and vessels 
were “when a boy of twelve he sailed in the forty-foot sloop 
“Daisy,” out of Grinsby, the world’s largest fishing port (on 
River Humber) for a three months’ trip fishing on the 
North Sea fishing banks. A crew of six to eight were car- 
ried, and all hands and the cook (myself) had to heave in 
the great nets (called trawls) full of fish, by means of wind- 
ing it up with the capston. It took six to eight hours to 
haul the trawl, then cleaning the fish to midnight. Every 
day or so a fish carrier from London came along side and 
took our fish, while we stayed out two or three months, far 
from land, in gales I could hardly stand up, yet had to cook 
for the crew regardless of the weather. Returning to port 
I shipped in the ninety-five-ton schooner “Mary Elizabeth,” 
a North Sea Coaster, from Faversham — stayed in her several 
voyages. Left her, shipped in hundred-ton Brigantine, The 
Vaniala. She was an old North American Barque, sixty 
years old at the time I sailed in her. She has been changed 
into a Brigantine for coasting trade around England. Later 
I shipped in the Brig “Sirius,” hundred years old, from South 
Shields for Hamberg — coal laden. This old hooker was al- 
most square at both ends ; would not sail to windward, but 
very fast before the wind and a fine sea boat. 

Returning to England, I shipped in the Clipper Barque 
“Ifafa” from London to Port Natal, Africa, general cargo. 
From there sailed for Island of Mauritius in the Indian 
Ocean. There we loaded rum, sugar and cocoanuts for Lon- 


/ 


2 


© Cl. A 4 6 2779 


* 


MAY 31 1917 


* 


.? •* 



THE 


LOG 


OF THE 


' v * * * > 

LONE SEA ROVER 


don — made entire voyage in seven months. I then shipped 
aboard the square-rigged ship “City of Lucknow” for Cal- 
cutta, India. 

Arriving in India we went up the River Ganges to the 
port, where I went ashore and saw thousands of natives 
bathing in the river, to wash away their sins and some of the 
dirt on their bodies. I went through queer streets full of 
little shops, containing fruit, leatherwork, jewels, various 
kind of clothing and hundreds of other odd things. This 
was a ten-months’ voyage. Returning to London, I shipped 
in the steamer “Backton” for the Baltic, St. Petersburg, Rus- 
sia, laden with coal ; then in ballast to Sonwoth, Sweden, for 
lumber for London. Unloading the lumber at London, we 
loaded coal for Malta (in the Med.) From here we went 
to Odessa, on the Black Sea, and loaded wheat for Liverpool. 
Went to Cardiff, loaded coal for Naples, Italy, hence to 
Black Sea, to Galatts on River Danube, got cargo of wheat 
for London. Left ship, later shipped in steamer “Offing- 
ton,” loaded coal for Bombay, India ; steamed through Suez 
Canal and the Red Sea. Very hot there. While in Bom- 
bay loading sugar and rum for London, I went ashore and 
took in the sights. Now, all this was about twenty-five or 
thirty years ago, and foreign ports were still strange and one 
could see a lot of amazing things. Well, I saw palaces where 
the Princes lived. Yes, I even saw many of these Indian 
Princes riding through the streets on big elephants that had 
golden fixings on the “niggers” sitting on their heads jab- 
bing them with spears. It is a sight to see twenty-five to 
thirty elephants coming down the street, each with a little 
gilt house on their back, with Princes riding in the “house.” 
One day I went out to the burning Gnats, where they burn- 
ed the dead by piling cord wood all about them. Also saw 
the “Tower of Silence,” laying in the river. The snake 
charmers came aboard, and on taking up a small collection, 
let loose the mongoose (a small animal they carried around), 
and it killed the poisonous snakes that they kept in baskets 
for this purpose. 

On the river were hundreds of small long-legged birds 
fishing or flying over the jungles. Queer little boats flew 
past under the sail or were pulled up stream by crews of 
naked natives. Very hot here all the time. Ashore I saw 
the street fakers grow mango trees in pots while the crowds 
looked on — all in a minute. These fellows do a lot of amaz- 
ing tricks, many of them so wonderful that whole books have 
been written on them. 

At last our cargo was aboard and we steamed for Lon- 

3 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


don, where I left the steamer, and for years to come I sailed 
in vessels of many rigs, making long voyages to Greece, and 
Egypt, where I visited the Nile, the astounding ruins and 
the Pyramids. Went through Cairo and saw the native 
streets with the tiny four-by-eight shops, the gold beaters, 
silversmiths, perfume shops, sweetmeat sellers, shoemakers 
and barbers whose shops were in the sidewalks. The streets 
are so narrow that when a train of camels laden with dates, 
rugs, silks and other desert stuff come along everybody must 
hurry into the doorways to let them pass. Evenings I would 
look at the Mosque and see the muzzins calling the faithful 
to prayer, which always heads to the East. Queer and sav- 
age people did I see in the coffee shops and along the water 
front. Saw odd native sailing dhows, some said to be slav- 
ers and pirates from the Red Sea and African coasts. They 
came to port with tortoise shells, pearls, rare shells and ele- 
phant ivory, coffee, dates, rugs and queer cargos of oriental 
stuff. Later I went back to England. 

From England I moved to the U. S. A., and for years I 
was around Puget Sound in the lumber business. I had my 
own saw-mill, owned a 200-acre farm, did well in many lines. 
Pve been up in British Columbia and Alaska, trading with 
Siwash Indians. Here I saw the Indians on the Skeena Riv- 
er, B. C., catch tons of candle fish, known locally as Hooli- 
gans, and empty them into pits where they remain for three 
or four weeks until an oily fluid rises to the surface. It is 
then dipped into vats and boiled. The product is known as 
Hummgleese, which is sold at a dollar a gallon, or used in 
trade at this value. This oil is added to all foods eaten by 
Indians, and you can smell an Indian a mile before you see 
him. Hummgleese is an Indian's luxury, but I prefer com- 
mon foods. 

[AUTHOR'S NOTE — The candle fish are very oily and 
have been caught, dried and used as candles by the natives 
of B. C. and along the Alaskan coasts. They placed a can- 
dlefish in a tin or pot and lit it's tail and when it burned 
down another one was added. They have been used by 
white miners and fur traders and are known all over these 
coasts.] 

Some years ago a company of California men went to 
China and bought a 160-year-old Pirate Junk, the “Ning-Po." 
She was full of old pirate relics, guns, etc. She was sailed 
across the Pacific, for at least two or three years — has been 
going from port to port and used as a show place. I met 
her in San Diego, Cal., and was master of her for sometime. 
Just think being Captain of a really and truly old pirate 

4 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


junk! She is full of torture chambers and “tools.” She 
was built in China in the year 1753 — 158 years of active ser- 
vice as a pirate, and later captured by the Chinese Navy and 
used in their navy. This old vessel is still afloat and is built 
of half logs and heavy planks, of teak and other hard woods. 
(See photo of carved stern of her herein.) 


CHAPTER II 

THE IDEA. WHY? HUNTING FOR A BOAT. BUILD- 
ING AND FITTING THE BOAT. DETAILED DE- 
SCRIPTION OF BOAT AND FITTINGS. THE START. 

After being at sea in wind jammers and steamers for 
twenty years, I went ashore and into the lumber trade. Yet 
day and night before my mind’s eye were recalled scenes, 
ports and peoples over the seven seas. The salted seas were 
a’ calling me. Finding the call too strong to resist, I sold 
my lumber-mill and set out in a twenty-six foot boat (I then 
owned), all over the Sound, looking for a sea-worthy boat 
that I could go anywhere in. Not finding any, I made up 
my mind to design and build one. So I designed the “Sir 
Francis,” and myself and Earl Picher built her hull in 
twenty-one days. As a boy I sailed in North Sea fishing 
boats, and I knew the wonderful Norwegian pilot boats, said 
to be the best heavy-weather craft in the world. I built my 
boat after their model — extra heavy for offshore cruising. 
Indeed, few craft of her size are so strong. She’s a double 
ender — that is, sharp at both ends. The bow is very high 
and wide, and after sailing over 8,000 miles, she has never 
shipped a sea! (No steamer’s Captain could say that!) A 
cabin twelve feet long and ten feet wide takes up the center 
part of the hull. It contains two large berths, plenty of 
lockers. At the aft end are cupboards and a wood-burning 
shipmate stove, with a large space for wood and food stuff. 
At the fore-end of the cabin is a large table used for meals, 
writing and for the great display of rare and beautiful shells 
and curios collected by Captain Drake. 

These specimens are sold and help pay expenses. As a 
rule no visitor aboard goes away without obtaining some 
post-cards or photo views of the “Sir Francis,” or strange 
tropical photos taken by Captain Drake at sea and ashore 
in strange lands. 

From the cabin a few steps lead up and out into the 
cock-pit where the steering wheel is located, and under this 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


wheel and back of it is the tiny engine room, containing a 
five h. p. Regal engine, and has a feathering propeller, allow- 
ing instant control of the boat. All sails are handled from 
the roomy cock-pit. The compass is set here and from the 
wheel Captain Drake sails his ship. Below, under decks 
the space is taken up with gas and water tanks, extra gear, 
sails, etc. 

The visitor will be surprised to learn that there are 
hundreds of different things aboard this strange schooner! 
There are 1,100 square feet of canvas spread, while under 
sail and in a “fresh breeze” she will make six to ten miles 
per hour — under her engine alone, six miles. Yet, from 
Puget Sound to San Diego, California, less than sixty gal- 
lons of gas were used, as the engine is only used in calms 
or getting in and out of ports and up rivers. 

The “Sir Francis” is thirty-two feet long, ten feet 
beam, five gross tons and three foot draft. It carries extra 
strong gear and rigging, large anchors and cables (sea an- 
chor and oil bags for use in hurricanes), and though it has 
been in seventy-mile gales, two hundred miles off shore, 
he never used them. 

A small boat is carried when at sea, across the stern 
just aft of steering wheel. No sextant or other navigating 
instruments are carried, only coast-pilots (books used by 
masters of vessels), charts, a compass, lead line to get depth 
of water, a field glass and two barometers. 

WHY I MAKE THE TRIP 

Half a life time spent at sea in large vessels only gave 
me a desire to cruise and roam into the strange and wild, 
little-known bays, rivers and to see tropical islands, native 
towns, historic half -forgotten pirate-ports and strongholds. 
The mystery and romance of sea, island and shore stirs in 
my blood ! I have cruised all about the great Puget Sound, 
also up the British Columbia coasts to Alaska and back, in 
a twenty-six foot boat. Always I have found new and beau- 
tiful scenery, yet the call of the Southern Seas, the tropics 
where waves the palm, ever beckoned me southward. Tir- 
ing of the Sound Region and the Northland, I built my boat 
and sailed into the unknown. They call me the “Lone Sea 
Rover,” for I have been going about alone to Alaska, Brit- 
ish Columbia, etc. 

I travel alone for these reasons : First, I like it. I can 
go when and where I please, up and down, in and out of in- 
lets. I can watch the birds, the fish, the crabs and the ever- 
changing seas and clouds, the life of whales, sharks, seals 
and other marine “animals.” Then too, I can eat when and 

6 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


what I prefer. I have no “stuck-up partner” or mate to kick 
on my cooking ! Secondly, expenses of foods are much less. 
At one time I intended shipping a mate but gave up the idea, 
so the entire voyage is being made alone. 


CHAPTER ill 

COASTING. SEATTLE TO SAN DIEGO. QUEER BAYS. 
ODD TOWNS. LIGHTS. SCENES ALONG THE 
COAST. SAN FRANCISCO FAIR. CALIFORNIA 
MISSIONS. ISLANDS. EVERYDAY LIFE AT SEA 
AND SHORE. THE SAN DIEGO FAIR. 

On July 28th, 1915, Captain Drake sailed from Seattle 
for his 12,000 mile cruise alone ! (From the log book of the 
“Sir Francis,” the author extracts these items — day by 
day — the Captain’s Daily Record) : 

July 29th — Calm, cloudy; motored some; Went to Port 
Hadlock, layed there day. Then Port Townsend. 

July 30th — Beached the ship; fixed the stuffing-box (it 
was leaking) ; painted her bottom. Leaving this Port, call- 
ed at Port Townsend. Called in river and fished for Silver 
Salmon, could not sell them at five cents each. There are 
1,200 motor trawling boats out of Astoria that fish on Col- 
umbia River Bar and outside. Astoria was founded by 
Jacob Astor of the Hudson Bay Fur Company. Visited a 
light-house at Dungeness. Motored to Point Angles, tow- 
ing a boat containing a fisherman and two dogs ; said dogs 
wore smiles whole trip and were calm. (The Dogs) . 

August 7th — Passed out by Tattoosh lights. 2 a. m., 
calm. This great Cape Flattery is known to sea-men for it’s 
100-mile gales, thick, foggy weather, and the bad currents 
that set on the coast of Van couver, B. C. At Neah Bay, 
five miles inside the Cape, are found large salmon canneries, 
also a fleet of five hundred 26 to 40-foot salmon fishing mo- 
tor boats. These fish outside of the Cape and on the 
“Swift-Sure” banks. There are hundreds of Indians (Si- 
wash) living and fishing around here. They are paid 5 
cents each for a salmon and both the large and small fish 
are the same price. Captain Drake spent some days salmon 
fishing with the fleet here and saw hundreds of salmons sell 
at 10 and 15 cents each to the cannery. Soon got brisk 
southerly winds; had to motor and buck it. Came to an- 
chor under Bodelteh Rocks for breakfast. 6 a. m., anchored 

7 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


up. 8:30 a. m., I got to Quillayote River. On getting into* 
this river many Indian boys came to visit me in their dug- 
out canoes. Later the Indian men came aboard and told 
Captain Drake his boat was a dandy and would he give her 
to them. Captain Drake went ashore and visited the Indi- 
ans in their homes. There were some three hundred Indi- 
ans at this place. They were very kind : “gave me some car- 
rots, onions, pie-plant, and wanted me to stay a week. They 
have a fine sandy beach in cresent form." 

August 8th — Sunday. Passed out of river ; very foggy 
all day. All around this big bay harbor are large lumber 
mills, and within Gray Harbor are included the following 
ports: Aberdeen, Hoquian and Westport (A steam whaling 
station). The entrance to Gray Harbor is very dangerous 
— it has a two-mile bar and three miles of breakwater that 
extends out to deep water. No wind. Motored to Destruc- 
tion Island. On making the island, failed to see it until right 
ahead, then saw a great big black rock only thirty feet away ; 
was heading for it under motor, making five miles per hour; 
ported helm, then ran over a breaking reef of sharp rocks, 
after getting clear of the reefs ; let go anchor. Had a meal 
and turned in. Island not seen owing to heavy fog. At ten 
p. m. heard a crash on deck, went up and found anchor light 
out ; relit same, then took soundings ; thought she hit bottom 
with the big swells running, but found plenty of water along- 
side. Next morning, going on deck found deck covered with 
herrings, around and under the anchor light. These fish 
could only have come from the stomach of a large sea bird. 
I think it was a loon that in flying at the anchor light, hit 
the mast and bursted it's crop. Leaving here next day had 
to look sharp to avoid the great rocky reefs off shore, and 
even then came near going up on 'em. Later stood out to 
sea and sailed to Westport. 

August 10th. — Laying in port. Saw large steam whaler 
“Westport" towing in a big whale that they had shot “out- 
side." Later motored to Aberdeen; rained and galed two 
days ; lay at anchor. 

August 12th. — Tried to cross the bar outside, but it was 
too rough, so was unable to get across. Blowing hard from 
northwest next few days. Called at three or four other 
ports. Calm, foggy, then gales ; hard to get in over the Bar 
and out again. Visited many places; tried to find mouth 
of river, but it was too foggy, so stood to sea and “hove to" 
till morning. 

August 20th — Arrived at Coos Bay ; coast guards visit- 
ed the ship and he had them climb the mast and fix the 

8 


'• ' ' 





mm 
















Wrecked on San Martin’s Island off Lower California, Mexico. 



(Titles of pictures on other side) 

1. Leaving San Diego, Cal. for 
3,000 mile voyage to the Canal. 

2. Laying in Panama Canal, 
Balboa. 

3. Ning-Po, San Diego, Cal. 

4. Leaving Puget Sound, Wash- 
ington. 

5. Old Porto Bello — Sir Fran- 
cis Drake’s Old Fort. 


Man-eating Shark, Gulf of Panama 



THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


main-stay, for it had come adrift in “blow” at sea and nearly 
lost main mast. Here editors came aboard and took him 
ashore. Later called at Marshfield, where he met Doctor 
W. Haydon, who was on old Hudson Bay doctor and had a lot 
of fine curios. Later Doctor Haydon and Captain Drake 
chased a big sun-fish, “but he got away.” Later sailed to 
Bandon, where nearly the whole town came aboard my ship. 
At this place spent the time at the Moose club (he is a life 
member), and the boys gave him a great send off. Leav- 
ing this port, took two passengers to Rogue River : ran into 
a hard northwest gale, so ran into Port Orford, which is a 
dull, dry town. Was shown Battle Rock, where in early days 
’tis said that 4,000 Indians chased nine white men, yet these 
brave “nine” stood the Indians off and later got away, and 
now they fly the Stars and Stripes on a pole the year round. 

August 20th — Arrived off Rogue River to land the two 
men; foggy; the bar was breaking clear across, and was 
afraid to risk it as I did not know the channel, so I took the 
men to Hunter’s Cove, landed them about 2 :30 p. m., after 
giving them a good meal, as they had seven miles to walk to 
port. I lay here till morning. Lonesome place, nothing in 
sight but hills and rocks. On leaving here, passed bad 
reefs; foggy; could not see three boats’ length. Got 
glimpse of Whale Head Rock. Heard St. George Reef 
Light-house horn. I made for St. George Channel; saw lot 
of fine salmon. Got fine mess of ’em. A big whale follow- 
ed along about two hundred yards off till I got into St. 
George Channel. I got off Channel and got into the reef, but 
got off again without harm to the boat. Right here ran 
into a great herd of sea lions. They made a big racket; 
acted like they would eat me up, but I soon ran through 
them. 

August 29th — At Eureka. The mayor came aboard 
and invited me to the Yacht Club. Later a newspaper man 
came aboard. Next morning went ashore and looked at 
the town, 20,000 population. Saw the stump-house which 
was made from part of a Redwood tree, one part laying 
down, other part standing up. The part that lies on the 
ground is used as a factory for souvenirs, the up-right part 
being the “store” for same. Later I saw the park, the birds, 
animals and redwood trees. They are four feet thick. 

September 2nd — Passed out over bar; nasty, choppy 
sea ; not blowing outside. Motored till noon ; got gale from 
northwest of Cape Mendocino, lasting till I got around 
Point Gorda; then motored to Shelter Cove, arriving after 
dark. Big swell running. 


9 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA R O Y E R 


September 3rd — Ran in close to a landing, where I saw 
a steam schooner loading lumber with a wire cable from 
shore to ship. She was “rolling some/’ 

September 9th. After three or four days of coasting 
and visiting some ports, I cleared out for the “Golden Gate.’" 
Wind southeast; glass falling; looked bad. Hove to for 
breakfast, then headed in for San Francisco. Went over 
the 30-foot depth “potato patch,” came in through the gates 
and headed for the great Fair Grounds. Laid up in the 
fine yacht harbor. Saw fireworks, aeroplanes, warships, 
motor boat races and thousands of other wonderful expo- 
sition sights. Laying here in the open bay it was cold and 
windy. At night I saw the Tower of Jewels, the amazing 
colored banners and streamers of electric lights which play- 
ed on the clouds and over the bay. Cruising in the arctics 
Fve watched the awesome Northern lights, yet to me it 
seemed that science gave a better display! Later I saw 
the Zone, the “Funny Bone” part of the fair. Everything 
was free to me. A few days later I sailed over to Oakland. 
Saw it. At Berkley found an old friend whom he had not 
seen for twenty-five years. Had fine supper, a yarn and a 
game of cards and home to the ship. 

September 22nd — Sailed back to San Francisco. Saw 
two-mile parade. Saw Cliff House, Sea Lion rocks, also the 
world famous Norwegian Sloop “Goga”, the first vessel to 
sail through the Northwest Passage by Captain Amundsen, 
who later found the South Pole. This sloop is seventy feet 
long, twenty-foot beam, forty-seven tons, and built in 1878. 
Is now ashore with iron fence around it in the Golden Gate 
Park. 

September 27th — Left for cruise up the bays and riv- 
ers. Went up river to Sacramento. Saw 7 State Capitol; 
visited Fort Sutter, built in 1839; few old cannons and a lot 
of relics ; an old steam fire engine of 1852. Came down the 
river, laid up in Curtland, a Chinese town. Saw two movie 
shows run by Chinks; queer burg. Was given a lot of 
muskmelons and grapes from a river barge. 

October 9th. — Started up San Jauquin River for Stock- 
ton; fair wind; great sport sailing up the narrow sloughs 
and through the bull-rushes. Back from these sloughs are 
grown millions of bushels of potatoes. Here Captain 
Drake returned and laid off the Fair Grounds three weeks. 

November 27th — Sailed out through the Golden Gate 
for Southern California ports. Dandy breeze ; big swell on ; 
ran over and took photo of Bonita Light-House, then across 
to Seal Rocks and Cliff House. 

10 


* 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


By 8 p. m. was off Ano Noevo Light ; wind fell lightly, 
so hove to and turned in for the night. Next morning, go- 
ing on deck, Captain found he was five miles off shore. 
Later he passed the large cement works twelve miles north 
of Santa Cruz. Here he went ashore to a park wdsere 
were elk, and on the beach saw a fine grass lawn, this be- 
ing one of a few places in the world where grass grows to 
the edge of the surf. From here he sailed across the bay 
to historic Monterey (California’s first capitol). The news- 
papers here gave him a great send-off and large crowds 
came aboard to see the little ship. Saw the old theater and 
postoffice. Their walls are two feet thick, of Adobe. Lat- 
er he climbed the hill and visited the Drake Monument. It 
consists of square stones from every county in California. 
Also saw the statue of Father Junifero Serra, founder of 
the California Missions. 

Sailing out of the bay, he passed the famous ostrich 
tree on Cypress Point. Passed Carmel Bay, where Jack 
London and many noted authors and artists have lived and 
worked. Passed Point Sur ; wanted to take photo : too late 
in the evening. It is a 400 foot knoll and lowland back of 
it — from sea looks like an island. 

October 5th. — At sea. Ten miles off Piedras Blancas 
Light-House. Steam schooner “Daisy Freeman” came 
alongside to see what ship, where from and bound for. From 
here he laid a course for San Simeon Bay. Passed through 
the Kelp Beds (great masses of rope-like sea plants), but 
seeing heavy seas breaking along the pier, stood off shore 
and lay to for the night. 

October 6th — Fine breeze. Soon had all sails set, run- 
ning down coast. Came abreast of Lion Rock, one hundred 
and twelve feet high ; ran close up to see the Sea Lions ; 
the shore was covered with them and they roared away in 
great style. From here the course lead to San Lous Obispo 
Bay, where pipe lines come down from oil fields. Here 
Captain says you will get oil-soaked if you go ashore. Cus- 
tom-house men came aboard here. Tore up many fittings 
and pawed over his belongings in their fruitless search for 
opium or “dope.” Three of them came armed with guns 
and plenty of cartridges to protect themselves from Captain 
Drake, who is five feet four inches tall and weighs some 135 
pounds, and has a stiff leg. 

Here Captain saw many pelicans, who, he says, remind 
him of an old preacher looking over his glasses! Running 
on he says wind keeps increasing until a heavy gale was 
blowing, a nasty sea running. He dropped the peaks of the 

11 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


fore and main gaffs, but could not get the jib in, so it had 
to take it. Later on, passing round Point Aregelo, he got 
under the land, out of the gale and sea. 

Here he went into the Kelp Beds for the night. (The 
Kelp has roots on bottom and it's leaves float on top of the 
sea). A boat can run into great beds of it and be safe as 
it break the seas. 

October 10th. — Calm morning. Ran south along the 
edge of Kelp beds under engine. Seemed to be farming 
country along here, and soon came to Coal Oil Point, where 
there was much oil, floating on surface, the sea being cov- 
ered all around, there being a coal oil spring running into 
the ocean. 

Next he called at Santa Barbara, saw the city, the fine 
pier, and south of the city the oil derricks, built far off from 
land on wharfs and where oil wells are found at the bottom 
of the ocean ! Here he saw the Santa Barbara Mission and 
heard a service at this place. Saw pepper trees, orange 
trees, etc. During a calm he went ashore to get some bread, 
and looking up saw storm signals flying. On getting down 
to the shore saw all the fishing and yacht fleet putting to 
sea, heading for Santa Cruz Island, twenty-five miles off 
shore, as few boats could “live out” a storm at Santa Bar- 
bara. A fifty-ton wine schooner from the island gave him 
a tow over to a safe harbor under the lee of the island. Spent 
four days here. Fine island, full of sea caves, marine gar- 
dens; on island, away inland, is an immense winery and 
grape vineyard, also cattle, horses, etc. 

October 22nd. — Sailed to Port Los Angeles, where was 
the longest wharf in the world (and where the author col- 
♦ lected 3,700 star-fish in thirteen days, selling them for 

more than $100.00). He motored to Santa Monica, Ocean 
Park and Venice (it's one solid town all along here for 
miles). At Venice is a fine aquarium of rare and strange 
sea animals and fishes, sea elephants, etc. Running round 
Point Vincente for San Pedro (the port of Los Angeles) , he 
saw great schools of whales fishing and on their way South. 
He got a fine photo of the tail of a diving whale. (This snap- 
shot as well as hundreds of others can be seen aboard his 
ship). He passed Portugese Bend, the old-time whaling sta- 
tion, where yet remains the 100-gallon boiling pots, and all 
along the beach are ribs and bones of whales. (The author 
spent some months years ago there growing pearls in Abal- 
one shells and collecting shells). Running inside the three- 
miles-long breakwater at San Pedro, he got into it right. He 
says a 25,000 barrel (of crude oil) tank had bursted. The 

12 


M 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


whole harbor was covered with this oil. The poor old sea 
gulls were in an awful shape, and when they try to get the 
oil off it makes it worse. Passed Dead Man’s Island, that 
Dana tells of in “Two Years Before the Mast.” Cruised over 
to Catalina Island. The town had lately burned down. 

New Year 1916. — 

Out six months. Wind southeast; gale blowing; rain all day. 
Motored round island to Pretty Catalina Harbor. This looks 
like going into a high mountain canon as the cliffs on both 
sides of entrance are about 600 feet high, at lowtide. Got 
fine mess of Abalones. fine eating. Near here are seen 
strange blow-holes of water sent in under sea caves and 
blow out like smoke high up from “blow-holes.” (Laying 
here in his schooner the writer has seen mountain “wild 
goats” on the high cliffs). Birds were singing in the trees; 
up the canons ashore are seen many fine, rare wild flowers, 
four to six feet high, ca.lla lilies, etc. 

Sailed to San Pedro. Here I met Harry Olsen, who, 
when his little 35-by-lOV? foot schooner “Belle” (10 tons) 
turned turtle southwest of Point Dume in a gale, sat on her 
keel, with his mate, for seventeen days (his partner held on 
for twelve days, then fell off). Olsen says he drifted one 
hundred and fifty miles to and through the islands to the 
mainland, where at last he drifted into the Kelp Beds at 
Santa Barbara. He then dove under the boat and cleared 
his anchors and anchored her. Soon a craw fisherman saw 
him and took him ashore, and he walked to the hospital! 
Olsen says people came from all over the United States to 
see him. He says what saved him was the fact that he was 
“so big and fat!” (Author’s Note— This story of Olsen and 
the schooner “Belle” is known to every seaman in California 
waters. It all happened over sixteen years ago. I knew 
both Olsen and his son. They now live in San Diego. He 
told me all he had to eat Was kelp that the waves washed up 
onto the keel where he sat so long. I w r as once master of 
the “Belle” and know she was a brute to handle, and have no 
doubt but that the above yarn is a true one.) 

Cruising along shore, Captain Drake passed Long 
Beach, Newport and to San Juan Point. This is the bluff 
where Dana and his mates threw down the hides and load- 
ed their brig before the Gringo came. Passed Ocean Side 
and Del Mar. Saw large fields or beds of kelp. At La- 
Jolla are strangely formed sea caves, also a scientific sta- 
tion for studying all forms of marine life. 

February 1st. — Sailing into San Diego Bay, last port in 
U. S. He spent several weeks here ; took in all the sights at 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


the fair. Sitting in the cock-pit of his boat and looking over 
head, he saw the great U. S. Army, aeroplanes soaring across 
the sky, or letting his fancy turn backward, he could see the 
old-time treasure Gallions racking down these shores and 
with creaking yards, flopping canvas and rattling chains, 
“let go” their great anchors and rock like sea gulls on the 
tides of San Diego Bay, while strange-bearded faces peered 
over side or looked up and aft to the High-Castle, where sat 
the Captain, the pilot and the ship’s scribe. Old memories, 
these! Here he found the one hundred and sixty-two years 
old Pirate Junk “Ning Po” (Captain Drake was her master 
at one time). This relic of old pirate days is still cruising 
around, getting dollars in place of heads, as she once did. 
Everyone should see this old ship, built so long ago in far- 
away China. She was sailed over to the U. 3., 7,000 miles, 
in seventy-one days after being dismasted in a typhoon (see 
photo of stem of Ning Po herein). 

March 17th. — Sailed from San Diego for Mexico waters 
and Panama. Northwest breeze ; fine, sunny day ; soon came 
abreast of Coronado Islands, leaving U. S. wafers, they be- 
ing Mexican Islands. 


CHAPTER IV 

DOWN THE MEXICAN COAST. SHIP WRECKED. 
STRANGE WATERS. BIG STORMS. LONELY DAYS 
AND NIGHTS. FAR AT SEA. BAD WATERS. LAND 
FALL. LANDS OF PALMS AND COCOANUTS. 
CENTRAL AMERICAN PORTS AND COASTS. AT 
LAST PANAMA CANAL. 

After passing the Coronado Islands the Cpatain was in 
Mexican waters, where many odd adventures came his way. 
Near Point Banda it was foggy, and light winds came from 
all points of the compass. Here the “Sir Francis” came 
near being run down by a large whale. They are very plen- 
tiful along these wild shores, and where they have run down 
many fishing boats, killing their crews. 

March 20th. — Light wind and rain. Had to motor 
twelve miles to get to San Martin Island. It looked so fresh 
and green from the sea, but it is very rocky and steep. Some 
crawfishermen came aboard, helped stow the sails and ask- 
ed all about the cruise. This lonely island off Lower Cali- 
fornia coast is an old volcanic island, and Captain Drake says 

14 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


of it, “San Martin looks like everything had melted here in 
the past, as the crater still shows on the top of the island." 

March 21st. — Laid off the island all day. Very light 
winds. Got a few crawfish (Pacific Ocean Lobsters) and 
a fine cod. Near midnight he came on deck and found the 
schooner adrift, she having parted her anchor line in a 
dead calm, yet the big Pacific swells drove her ashore in a 
moment’s time. But luckily she hit on a sandy beach. Cap- 
tain Drake tried to get her off but failed, owing to the fact 
the tide was low and running out fast, so he put out an an- 
chor on shore and turned in to sleep till morning. 

March 22nd. — This a. m. wind came from northwest and 
drove in big seas, so by high tide a heavy surf was coming in 
and the “Sir Francis" was being pounded by every sea. In 
this way she lost one of her bilge keels and part of the heavy 
iron shoe from her keel. Three Mexican fishermen came 
along and helped the Captain get the schooner off the beach. 
She was leaking quite a little, so one fisherman, Charlie, 
said, “Well, Captain, better get her into the lagoon (that 
formed a sort of bay behind the sandy shore line) , where 
there is plenty of water." The Mexican did not know the 
channels and in crossing the bar at the entrance, she struck 
the rocks on the bar so that she drifted with the seas, on 
and inside the lagoon, where she struck hard on a great 
pile of boulders. The heavy seas lifted her up and let her 
down with a crash on the large rocks — here she stuck fast. 
Captain Drake says, “She pounded to beat the Dutch, and 
had to stay here until the next high tide in the evening.” 
It was raining and the wind was blowing hard, and all the 
time this wonderful little ship lifted up and crashed down 
upon the rocks, and finally lost the other keel (these were 
just below the water line and kept her from rolling badly in 
heavy weather) . She also lost the balance of the iron shoe 
from her keel, and the rocks chewed holes in the planking 
and keel. 

March 23rd. — Captain Drake says he got her starboard 
side holes stopped up, but found she still leaked along the 
keel ; could not fix her laying there on the beach. The sand 
being soft, he waited for the evening tide to put her on the 
other side, but it blew a gale ; she dragged her anchor until 
she drifted high and dry ashore again. She lay here all 
night. The following day he got her listed over and fixed 
the holes in her port side. 

March 25th. — Started to dig her out of the sand, but 
could only move her a few feet. The next two days moved 
her a little more by pulling on a tackle ; hands were very sore. 

15 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


March 29th. — At last! Had her afloat again. Then 
he laid her along shore so he could see the keel and found it 
badly chewed up by the rocks, also quite a leak along her 
keel. However, by hard work he at last stopped the leaks 
and had her ready for sea again. It felt so good to see her 
afloat and riding to her anchor again. (Reader, just stop and 
consider the position of Captain Drake, shipwrecked on a 
lonely island, in a strange land, no one to really help him, as 
the Mexican fishermen, by their lack of knowledge of the 
channels, caused the schooner to get wrecked the second 
time). After spending ten days alone digging the schooner 
out of the sand, the Captain sailed for Cerros Island. Here 
are found many strange colored lizards, rabbits, rare and 
beautiful birds and animals. The island is simply a great 
rocky mountain and one can hardly land. Turtle Bay was 
the next port. This is an old refitting place for old-time 
whalers w r ho came in here to get water. They also got many 
whales around this coast. On getting here Captain Drake 
met two crawfishermen whom he had met in San Diego, Cal- 
ifornia. They hailed him, asked, “How’s the crew,” and to 
come ashore and get supper. He went with them to their 
camp and had a hearty meal of turtle and crawfish, later on 
putting off in the fishermen’s boat. It got broadside to the 
mighty Pacific swells and heavy surf and capsized in a mom- 
ent, throwing Captain Drake and the two fishermen under 
the water and the boat on top of them. They had a hard 
time to regain the boat, turn it over and bale the water out 
so they could get aboard it. However, at last they did so. 
Yet it was a touch and go adventure. In this bay are camp- 
ed thirty or forty Japs who dive for, cook and dry the meat 
of the Abalone shell. One can see about thirty tons of the 
dried meat at this place any time. After cutting the meat 
from the shells they cook it, then spread it over racks that 
cover one-half acre. Abalone meat is fine eating and sells 
at 30 cents a pound. In China and Japan the shells are sold 
in the rough for $40.00 a ton. From here the Captain cruis- 
ed down this strange wild desert coast to Cape San Lucas, 
end of Lower California (Mexico). Hard gale off here for 
forty-eight hours ; got into bay. Had grand view of the 
pretty headland. It show's two sugar loaf rocks, one having 
a fine arch and the other resembles a cathedral. Sailed from 
here for Central American ports. From here on over 1,000 
miles he met gale after gale. Heavy tropical downpour 
rains and peals of thunder, jagged flashes of lightning, 
made the wild night light and showed the foaming crests of 
racing seas that bore down upon the little ship. Getting 

16 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


alongside of the wheel the Captain looked over the side and 
saw strange colored waves of light that looked like fire as 
the schooner dashed through the angry seas. Oh, the lone, 
long nights on stormy seas, when each wave was higher 
than the length of the schooner! Here sometimes hundreds 
of miles off shore, far from all help and human kind, parts 
of the gear carried away and the little lame (and oh, so 
game) , Captain Drake climbed up the slender reeling masts 
as they swept in dizzy cii'cles across the storm-swept sky 
and fixed the broken rigging or gaff jaws or whatever was 
broken. From Lower California to San Salavador, Cap- 
tain Drake ran into very bad weather — gales, thunder, 
lightning, squalls, water-spouts, strong currents, calm, head 
winds and seas. It was a lonely cruise down these shores, 
with seldom a vessel in sight. But day by day something 
of interest was seen within the tropics. Great sea turtles 
were passed daily, some days eight to fourteen being sight- 
ed. Many were caught and eaten by the Captain, who 
cooked them in many ways — fried, steaks, boiled, stewed, 
etc. Day by day whales came ranging past the schooner — 
dolphins and porpoises raced with her along side, now under 
her bows or dashing ahead and turning about while they 
waited for her to overtake them. Their colors flashing in 
the sunshine, ever in motion, were these “horses” of the 
southern “lonely sea.” Albico^e, bonita, yellow tail and 
other fish were seen and sometime hooked. Land swallows 
flew around the schooner when along shore, and when far 
off the Central American coast, out of sight of all land, hun- 
dreds of bright colored land snakes of many kind were seen 
swimming around. Captain Drake says that great rains 
up the rivers ashore carried these snakes to sea, yet he 
wondered how they could live on the salt water, and felt 
pleased when he had left them far astern, some of ’em be- 
ing twelve feet long “with bits on ’em.” Many man-eating 
sharks followed the schooner day by day. Even when none 
could be seen, one need only look under the boat to see them 
swimming along in the shadow of the hull. Every motion 
of the Captain was followed by the ghastly, fishy, staring 
eyes of these sharks. They rolled their eyes up at him, and 
when he threw over empty tin cans or rags they dashed 
after them and snapped their great jaws full of rows of 
sharp, serried, horrid teeth, while their two-feet dorsil fins 
stuck out of the water. These sharks were eight, ten and 
fifteen feet long. Swimming alongside or ahead of these 
great sharks were pretty little eight-inch pilot fish which 
it is claimed, lead sharks to their prey. Each shark had 

17 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


three or five little pilots. A whole school of porpoise were 
seen fishing one day and they chased a tuna out of water till 

he jumped sixty feet before hitting the water again, and he. 
did this six or eight times! Along these coasts strange 
tropical coral islands were seen. They were full of palms, 
cocoanuts and wonderful trees and plants. The colors of 
the leaves on the trees were fine. All sorts of odd birds, 
parrots, monkeys are to be seen on some of these islands. 
Wild hogs and cattle live on a few of them. 

Calling at ports along shore, natives came aboard and 
wanted to “trade,” but the Captain had nothing that he 
would swap, so no deal. 

May 10th. — Arrived at La Union San Salvador, bottom 
foul with barnacles and sea-growths until she would 
hardly stear, sail or steam ! Went ashore, shook hands with 
the Commandante, who made him welcome to the port. 
Went to the market and got lot of tropical fruits and fish. 
Very cheap. Flies simply awful The old Spanish town has 
narrow, cobble-stone streets, adobe houses, fine plaza fill- 
ed with beautiful flowers, and strange tropical plants and 
trees, etc., where the band plays every night. Behind the 
town looms high volcanic mountains; along the shore are 
hot water streams that give out clouds of hot water and 
fumes. It is very squally and windy, also hot around the 
bay. It is seldom less than 90 degrees, and reaches as 
high as 125 degrees. Soldiers took charge of the schooner 
while in port, allowing no one to board her at this place. It 
was reported that Captain Drake’s cruise was to settle a 
wager between he and a rich New York Steamer Captain, and 
that Captain Drake was to get $80,000, provided the voyage 
was completed within a set time. This was a josh, yet na- 
tive reporters called to get details of the wager and cruise. 

May 23rd. — Went under the lee of Cape Blanco. Was 
very tired and worn out from heavy weather. Intended to 
lay for the night between the rocks and the reefs, where a 
big swell was rolling in. The Captain went to sleep intend- 
ing to come on deck now and then during the night, but be- 
ing so worn out, he slept through the night, and upon going 
on deck in the morning found his anchor line cut in two and 
himself a mile out at sea. The sharp coral points on the 
reef had cut the line and the schooner had drifted out to sea 
through masses of jagged rocks past (or over, who can 
say?) coral reefs and rocks clear of all harm. Captain 
Drake says that even in day-light and calm water it would 
have been a hard job to have worked her through this place 

18 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


and he very aptly puts it, “It was the guiding hand of God 
•who steered her out to sea that night.” 

May SOth. — Passed Cape Mala. Later reached the 
'Gulf of Panama. Schooner leaking, two bucketfuls an hour ; 
heavy rain squalls carried away jack stay. 

June 3rd. — Arrived off the Panama Canal at 10:00 p. 
m. Hove to until daylight. 


CHAPTER V 

AT LAST PANAMA. SEEING THE CANAL ZONE. 
THROUGH THE CANAL. OLD TOWNS. ANCIENT 
PIRATE FORTS. VISITING ADMIRAL DRAKE’S 
FORT. QUEER NATIVE TOWNS. TROPICAL RIV- 
ERS. ISLANDS IN PIRATE WATERS. CLEAR FOR 
JAMAICA. 

On getting into the Canal Captain Drake spent three 
months, both afloat and ashore, visiting the old towns, 
canal towns and old pirate forts. In the city of Panama the 
streets are only eight feet wide, sidewalks two feet. There 
are many churches and cathedrals, also plazas. Visiting 
the market he saw stalls full of highly colored tropical fish. 
The vegetables were of all sorts, mostly those of the tropics. 
Pineapples sold for 5 cents a piece. Bananas and many oth- 
er tropical fruits were in this market by tons. 

The market is along the boat harbor where the Bounges 
land. These queer craft are made from log, (hewn or burnt 
out thin), then decked over and rigged as schooners. They 
range from twenty to forty-five feet in length, six and eight 
feet wide. They carry about ten tons of bananas, cocoa- 
nuts, vegetables, some wood, charcoal, yams, mangoes, pine- 
apples, etc. They come from Central and South American 
Coast ports, 200 to 400 miles along shore. They are very 
“cranky” and only natives can sail them. He saw many 
Chinese stores where liquor is sold as low as 2 1-2 cents a 
drink. From Balboa the Captain went down the Peregrute 
River alligator shooting. Saw some; though shots were 
fired, none were killed, so they went ashore, got some cocoa- 
nuts and drank the milk, then ran down to Tabor Cilia Is- 
land and obtained a lot of mangoes. Three days later return- 
ed to this island with a party who were shell hunting. Find- 
ing none, we sailed to Taboga Island, where lots of fine shells 
were gotten. This island has a pretty bay and an old town 

19 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


with shady walks under the mango trees. Taboga is noted 
for its pineapples. Took few photos and sailed for Balboa. 

July 2nd. — Went up the Bayano River to small town of 
Corozae, passing Chepillo Island (it also has a small town). 
Saw many large alligators, but got none. Along the river 
bank are many small farms of yams and bananas. A stiff 
breeze. River in flood. Came to the town of El Lano. Near- 
ly everyone in town came aboard to see the “gasoline” and 
the “gringo.” Captain went ashore here to get some 
guavas, limes, alligator pears, and tried to get parrots for 
pies, but failed to see any. In the evening they gave him 
a big native dinner — it sure was some mixture — of all kind 
of fruits, wild hogs, etc. Laid here all night. 

July 4th. — He woke the town up with six shots of dyna- 
mite and all the people ran out thinking it was another revo- 
lution. But it was the “Fourth,” and with Stars and Stripes 
flying he sailed down the river, after the natives had put a 
canoe load of fruit aboard. Returning to the Canal Zone, 
a party tried to charter the schooner for a treasure voyage 
to the famous Cocos Island, where it is known ten million 
are hidden away, but one man broke his leg, so they failed to 
go. At last Captain Drake cleared the Canal; met pilot 
coming, so got to Miraflores Locks o. k. Ran alongside of 
North Sea fish carrier from Vancouver, B, C., for Nova 
Scotia. He towed the schooner through these and through 
the Gatun Locks, passing through the Culubra Cut, where he 
saw many dredges and tugs, barges, etc. The dipper 
dredges lift fifteen tons of dirt at a time. Later got into 
Colon. Called on Port Captain. Raining; dull, dreary day. 

July 29th. — Looked over Cristobal and Colon. Both 
are fine, clean, up-to-date towns, as are others in the “Zone.” 
Saw many large coasting schooners along here. 

August 4th. — Chartered schooner to a real estate man 
and took party of seven aboard. Sailed for Coclets River, 
one hundred miles down the coast. Arriving off mouth of 
river, tried to get native pilot, but as sea was running, they 
dared not come out in their pangers (a small dug canoe). 
At last found a fisherman who took us in "where we stayed 
a while, getting more men aboard. Came out over the 
bar again, we struck it four or five times. Came off o. k. 
Made Palmillo River and got two men and a canoe to land 
the freight and men. Later laid up near a coral reef, so 
close that the undertow rolled the ship badly. 

August 21st. — Sailed for famous old Porto Bello. Ad- 
miral “Sir Francis” Drake died here and was buried at sea 
off this place. This was the old stronghold of Panama. 

20 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


Both sides of the bay were fortified with strong forts. 
Captain Drake went all through these old forts. Saw the 
old guns lying around half covered up with jungle. Saw the 
prison stockade where thousands of slaves and prisoners 
were kept in chains. Saw lot of skeletons lying around in 
the stockade, and its walls were overgrown with tropical 
plants, while large trees grew through these old half -forgot- 
ten walls. He also saw the famous old “treasure trail” from 
Porto Bello to Old Panama, where thousands of men and 
mules for hundreds of years carried jewels, gold, spices and 
silks from the Far East and the plunder from sacked cities 
in the days of the bold, where once marched the Spanish 
soldiers, now in these historical ruins. The natives grow 
yams and bananas and use them for gardens. These old 
ruins are crumbling, falling down, dust to dust. The old 
church is falling apart. Swallows fly in and out where 
priests and pirates knelt of old. In Morgan’s time this 
port and forts were well fortified and the fleets of gallions, 
slavers, pirates and warships lay under the guns of the high- 
walled forts, while ashore the pirates burned and sacked 
the towns, making slaves of their people. Stirring times 
these. Too bad the “Sir Francis” did not get here in time 
to share the loot. He sailed from here and visited the 
Lorenzo Castle that Morgan captured and sacked. This 
castle is located on a high bluff, overlooking the Chargres 
River and is now in ruins, while hundreds of old cannons 
and thousands of cannon balls lie around under the trees 
and about the jungles. The river is full of sharks and fish, 
and it is the spillway of the Panama Canal. During the 
rainy season it raises thirty to forty feet in a night. Re- 
turned to Colon and cleared for Jamaica. 


21 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


CHAPTER VI 

PANAMA TO JAMAICA. WEST INDIAN SEAS AND 

STORMS. ARRESTED AS GERMAN SPY. LEC- 
TURES FOR COLLEGE. TROPICAL SCENES. 

LEAVES PORT IN GREAT STORM. CALLS AT 

STRANGE ISLANDS, ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN. 

CUBA. FLORIDA. GASP ARILLA MEETS AUTHOR. 
CRUISES FLORIDA KEYS FOR SHELLS. KEY 
WEST. CLEARS FOR BAHAMAS. 

September 7th. — Left Colon at noon. Fine south 
breeze. Passed Porto Pello. Course North of Northeast. 

September 8th. — Wind light from South. Made forty 
miles, 

September 12th. — Calm till 9:30, then a dandy rain, 
wind and thunder squall from Southeast lasting two hours. 
Choppy sea. Made eighty miles. 

September 14th. — Blew breeze all night from North- 
west. Calmer in the morning. Put one reef in sail. 
Five a. m., wind increasing, put in another reef, going close 
hauled, two points off my course. Making three knots an 
hour. Made seventy-five miles. 

September 15th. — Gale still blowing from Northwest. 
Shook out one reef ; sea going down. Slade eighty miles. 

September 20th. — Calm all night except a big thunder 
storm. Light Southeast wind ; ran motor. Passed South 
Negril Light House 2:30 p. m. Very light head winds. 

September 23rd. — -Wind came North of Northeast at 
daylight. This being a fair wind to Portland Point, Ja- 
maica. A strong current set to north, so started motor. 
Blowing nearly a gale. Made Point in two hours (by mis- 
take the Captain put into Portland Bay, where foreign 
craft are not allowed to land), and “I thought it was Kings- 
ton Harbor, but when close in 1 saw my mistake but sailed 
on in and went to shore to hand my papers to a custom 
man; failed to find one, so I handed them to a Corporal at 
the Police Station. As he did not know what to do, he held 
me and the ship until he got the Sergeant, who came with 
some twenty men and searched the schooner.” All they 
found was a bunch of bananas and a lot of sea shells. Well, 
they thought he was a German spy, so they arrested him 
and kept him in the old harbor jail, two miles from his boat, 
for three days, then gave him permission to sail for Port 
Royal. You should have seen the crowds who said, “Oh, 

22 


T H E L 0 G O F THE LONE S E A ROYER 


see the little German spy : watch him or he will blow up a 
fort or a town.” The police could not keep the crowds back. 
He went to church one Sunday evening with a policeman. 
The crowds followed them into the church, until it was jam- 
med, and a hundred others tried to look in the windows to 
see “the German spy !” Next morning went to a public school, 
whose master invited me in and the children sang songs for 
me. In the square is a beautiful green tree covered with 
fine foliage a foot long, two inches wide, green pods. Un- 
der this tree it is said Columbus ate his breakfast when he 
landed at old Portland Bay. At least the tree looks very 
old and it may be true. Next morning he left old harbor; 
light land breeze. Sailed four miles and struck a mud bank ; 
got schooner off in two hours’ hard work. Had fine light 
breeze until he got to the end of Hoskyn Patches, four miles 
from Port Royal, where he ran her full speed upon a coral 
reef. Then he did have some fun getting her afloat — had to 
unship the rudder and run out a big anchor astern, and 
heaved her off this way in three hours. 

I soon ran into Port Royal, where the custom officials 
were waiting for me. I ran up to the pier and they gave 
me a great reception. The ladies came aboard, bringing me 
ginger pop on ice, which I enjoyed. I laid here two and a 
half hours, then sailed for Kingston (five miles). I made it 
in thirty minutes, under sail. As they had ’phoned that I 
was coming, the police were watching for me and came 
aboard with the custom men. They left a special police- 
man aboard for four days to keep an eye on “the German 
spy,” only they said it was to keep the great crowds away 
from the “Sir Francis.” As the police kept the schooner, I 
bad nothing to do but go ashore and look around. I rode 
about the city, visiting fine gardens full of rare and beauti- 
ful plants, ferns and trees. I went out to Constant Springs, 
to Shortwood College to see Miss Whitehead, Principal, who 
had written me, daring me to visit the college. Well, I 
went out there and met her and there took tea with them. 
They asked me to give a lecture to the school, which I did ; 
talked an hour and a half regarding my long voyage, the 
strange sea things I had met on the way, etc. The girls 
said it was fine, and I invited the whole school to visit the 
ship, and some forty of them came down. All were astound- 
ed to see what a “tiny” boat she really is for so long a 
cruise. I remained in Kingston about five weeks. Had boat 
calked. Then went to Port Royal again. Took out many 
ladies boat sailing and parties. Had many invitations to 
lecture on my voyage, but did not do so, as I’m not a good 

23 


/ 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


speaker. The town, while pretty, is forty years behind 
times. The streets, parks, museums and many of the Gov- 
ernment buildings are falling down. The streets are half 
lighted by some sort of gas, and it’s safer to walk in the cen- 
ter of the streets. Lots of people looking for work. 

November 2nd. — Left Kingston 9:30 a. m. Fair wind. 
Crowds waving me good-bye. Abreast of Black River. Day- 
light. Calm. At sundown off Negril Light-House. Started 
breezing up, lasting all next day. Headed for Cayman Brae 
and headed ship to eastward ; thought I was too far to wind- 
ward, so brought her down one-half point, running this 
course. I turned into bed at 8 p. m. Laying in bed I 
thought I was nearing land, so got up at 10:00 p. m. Saw 
land three miles ahead. Hove to for the night and went 
round east end of island in the morning. Many boats came 
off to me, as I had mail for the island and they were looking 
for me. Sailed along island to Custom House. They came 
aboard and remained an hour and got sea-sick. 

Got up anchor and took them for short sail. Half gale 
blowing. Landed them, cleared for Little Cayman. Arriving 
here, where people were looking for me, pilot came and took 
me inside the reefs. It being a fine place to lay with a 
small vessel, I went ashore. Visited people's cocoanut and 
banana groves, laid under cocoanut trees, saw them build- 
ing a coasting schooner. The islanders make their living 
by growing cocoanuts, sw r eet potatoes, yams, bananas and 
vegetables. These are sent in small schooners and sloops 
to Jamaica market. Laid here two weeks in a gale, with 
two anchors down. It never stops blowing, so sailed for 
Grand Cayman. On leaving, it blew so hard that two men 
came aboard to help get my anchor in. The storm was so 
great that the kind islanders tried to keep me from putting 
out to sea, as none of the fleet of vessels in port would sail. 
I ran off before this gale under fore-sail alone. My compass 
light blew out, so had to steer by the stars, as I could not 
leave the wdieel to relight it. I made six knots per hour 
nearly all night. Sighted Grand Cayman Island (east end) 
at daylight. A coral reef extends off shore for five miles 
and great seas dashed over the reef, it being so rough that 
the “Sir Francis" danced about like a cock. The islanders 
s&w me at daylight from east end of island ; wondered who 
I was, as the schooner looked so small on the great seas. 
Got into Georgetown about noon and found some two hun- 
dred school children who wanted to come aboard all at one 
time. Soon the ship was black with human beings of all 
sizes and colors. The police and custom men could not keep 

24 



Up the Bayano River, Panama. 



Town on Coclets River, Panama 



Cocoanut Tree and Jungle on Panama 

Coast 





Gasparilla’s Pirate Schooner Taking City of Tampa 



THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


the kids off the boat. In the evening the ladies came 
aboard and brought oranges, grapefruit, shaddocks, tanger- 
ines and many other tropical fruits. Here I saw schooners 
loading great green turtles for Key West, Florida. The 
turtles weighed from 200 to 700 pounds and are fine eat- 
ing, selling in Key West for $10.00 each. Saw schooners be- 
ing built for the coasting trade. I got a lot of fine sea-shells 
around the island Queen conchs, sun-beams, sea-beans, etc. 

December 2nd. — Cleared for Key West, Florida, about 
1:00 p. m. Fine breeze for the next two and a half days. 
Made westerly course towards Yucatan, then stood to north- 
eastward and next night sighted Cape San Antonio, Cuba, 
within a mile from where I expected to make it. A wonderful 
run, as no navigating instruments were used. I passed in- 
side the great Colorado reefs and sailed for three days along 
in smooth water near the Cuban coast and in and out be- 
tween the cays that were covered with strange trees and 
plants. On some of them lived fishermen and turtle hunt- 
ers, as inside the reef are smooth and shallow 7 waters. A 
fine place to fish and cruise around. Ran ashore on mud 
banks and on reefs tv 7 o or three times ; got off o. k. 

December 7th. — Passed out to sea, heading for Key 
West. Wind in northeast (the trade-wind), and a big sea 
running. Soon had choppy seas, glass going down; am 
looking for more wind. Can hardly stand on deck owing to 
the plunging of the boat, nearly standing on end ! Yet I have 
to cook, make biscuits and cook salt beef, potatoes and other 
foods. You could hardly stand, sit or lay. However, at 
last I got supper cooked, also had a cup of fine tea. Sea went 
down, calm, so did not get to Key West as I expected. In 
the evening nice breeze came up and by midnight I sighted 
Sand Key Light-House, near Key West. I hove-to off the 
light until daylight. A beautiful moonlight night. 

December 10th. — Sailed into port. Was “passed” by cus- 
tom officers all o. k. Find Key West a queer place, full of 
Spanish people and Cuban cigarmakers. United States has a 
naval base here and forts, at mouth of harbor. Here one 
sees over one hundred schooners that cruise around the shal- 
lows and coral reefs after sponges, turtles, w r recks and fish. 
Foods are very high here — seven potatoes for 25 cents, two 
onions for 5 cents. 

December 20th. — Sailed for Tampa. Light winds. 

December 21st. — Passed Cape Romano; with fine land 
breeze made Sanibel Island Light. Went inside the Point 
and anchored. 

December 22nd. — Went to see the light-house, where 

25 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


I was told a heavy “norther” was expected, so I stood off 
shore, up coast off Punta Rassa. Calm ; heavy rain ; thunder 
and lightning storm broke over me. I ran up Caloosahatchee 
River and ran boat fast on a sand-bar, so had to lay there all 
night. 

December 24th. — Sailed north up to San Carlos Bay; 
ran aground time and again ; hardly any water in Bay. At 
last found a four-foot channel, sailed to an island having" 
big hotel (Tarpon Inn). Sailed on to Boca Grande, a fine 
town for tourists and tarpon fishing and where train loads 
of phosphate are loaded into ships. I laid here for Christ- 
mas. Went ashore, had big Christmas dinner. In evening' 
went to see two Christmas trees. Sailed on 26th. Next day 
passed many islands along the shore, then passed into Tam- 
pa Bay by Egmont Key Light-House, forty miles down the 
bay from Tampa. Sailed up bay ; ran ashore on mud bank ; 
got off ; came up river in Tampa. Came alongside dock near 
the cocoanut schooner “Cora-May” of Georgetown, Grand 
Cayman Island. Her crew were glad to see me again. 

December 31st. — Went off up the Hillsborough River to- 
Sulphur Springs to lay in fresh water, to kill the barnacles, 
marine weeds, etc., on her bottom. It looks odd to see 
trees along the river covered with long grey Spanish moss. 

The Springs are nine miles up the river. It is very pret- 
ty all along the river bank. These springs are very large 
and come into a concrete basin that is used as a swimming 
pool. It is said that 32,000 gallons of water come up every 
minute. Near it are smaller springs and it's water tastes 
like sin. Staid around here two weeks. Sailed back to 
Tampa to see the city. It has fine wide streets, clean new 
buildings; altogether is a fine city. It has over two hun- 
dred cigar factories, some larger than college buildings. 

The large Tampa Bay Hotel is built on the Egyptian 
style ; it cost two millions and is now owned by the city. It 
is in the midst of a fine park containing rare trees and plants 
from all over the globe. 

Sailed for St. Petersburg (tourist town twenty-five 
miles down the bay) ; population 35,000, mostly tourists. It 
also has fine streets and buildings, many shade trees, odd 
tropical plants and flower gardens. One house is built 
entirely of sea-shells of all sorts. At the end of the car line 
is the Jungle, a sort of park filled with Florida trees, plants, 
cactus and all sorts of tropical plants and ferns. Near town 
are ancient shell mounds, where many rare Indian relics 
have been found. Visitors spend their time mostly in hunt- 

26 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


Ing shells, fishing or sailing over the bay a thousand feet 
high in aeroplanes at $10.00 a trip. 

February 1st. — Sailed for Tampa. On getting into the 
river it rained ; saw storm signals flying. A gale set in from 
northwest. Anchored. During the night ice frooze one 
inch thick in my water bucket. Gale kept up for two days. 
Still cold; more ice. Had fire built in ship-mate stove, so 
kept cozy in the cabin. This freeze killed thousands of or- 
ange and guava trees and froze hundreds of acres of straw- 
berries, cabbages and other garden truck all over the State. 

There was a week’s carnival, called “Gasparilla” (a 
famous pirate). A schooner was fixed up for the “pirate” 
and he and his men came up the river and took Tampa. 
The parades and floats on the river and streets were very 
good. I took a picture of the “pirate ship” as she came 
through the drawbridge. Laying here off the big hotel, 
Captain Drake met the writer, who closed a deal with him to 
write this account of his remarkable voyage. As both 
Captain Drake and I wanted to cruise along the Florida 
Keys, we got together for a three weeks’ cruise, and this 
book is being written here and there laying off queer, lone- 
ly islands, and at anchor amid the strange sponge fleet in 
Key West harbor, in Tampa and at home in Plant City. An 
odd voyage, a queer book written by a roaming naturalist! 


CHAPTER VIS 

TAMPA TO KEY WEST. ALONG THE COAST. FLORIDA 
KEYS. SHELL COLLECTING. STRANGE WATERS. 
ENGLISH JOE, THE SHELL MAN. SAILED FOR 
KEY WEST. OUTWARD BOUND. GOOD-BYE. 

Sailing down the river and bay from Tampa, we called 
at Port Tampa, where sea-going steamers land, and where 
we hoped to fill oil tanks with cheap fuel ; yet only 26 cents 
per gallon gasoline could be had. While laying along-side an 
oil barge taking oil, a custom inspector came aboard and de- 
manded the ship’s papers. On reading them over he found 
all correct. At first he thought he had found a smuggler’s 
schooner. Leaving here, some photos were snapped. In 
the evening we arrived at the tourist town of St. Petersburg, 
where Sunday was spent ashore looking around. Saw great 
crowds; took photos of pelicans and of a Greek sponge 
sloop that was loaded with fine, showy sponges. She lay 

27 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


along-side a tiny dock and her captain sold many sponges to 
the tourists. 

Monday a. m. — Calm. Left here under motor. Four miles 
down the bay a flying boat or hydro-aeroplane passed over 
us, 1500 feet high. They charge $10.00 a passenger. The 
view of Tampa Bay, Gulf and towns are well worth it. 

Wind very light. Made Egmont Key Light-House. Saw 
an “interned” steamer, also a four-masted schooner at an- 
chor. Saw the forts on the Keys. A grand sunset just 
over the light-house. Anchored ; calm, starlight night. 

5:30 a. m. — Light north wind. Sailed S. to SW ; then 
followed four days and nights of calms, schooner making 
thirty miles per day, and unless we ran inshore and anchor- 
ed at night the currents set us back up the coast twenty to 
thirty miles, so little gained on our course. We drifted and 
sailed along the coast, passing many long islands or keys. 
We could see ashore farms and houses, also the heavy flat 
woods, pines, high heavy-crowned palmettos which stood 
alone or in bunches in the forest. We called at Boca Grande. 
It is a deep-water port for shipment of phosphate arid is a 
winter tourist town. The tarpon fishing is fine outside and in 
the tide way of the “pass” of entrance to the great forty- 
mile-long bay here that is full of small wooded “keys” or is- 
lands, mud-flats and shallows. Saw many fine yachts here 
from New York, etc. Watched a taxidermist mount some sev- 
en-foot tarpon, under the mangrove trees. Thirty feet from 
where the schooner lav, calmly waded a snow-white heron, 
while a fine Northern Red Bird sat on a nearby bush. Showy 
butterflies drifted over the water. During the after-glow 
fish jumped out of water. From the town came the sound 
of soft music played by the hotel band, and the pat, pat of 
the moving, sliding feet at a “nigger” dance along shore. 
Nearer came the ships-bells, from a seventy-foot New York 
schooner yacht. A harbor of content this! Lay here till 
9:00 a. m. next day. Sailed for Florida Bay, 180 miles 
southeast, cruising along shore. Saw bush fires ashore. Pass- 
ed islands having small hotels. Passed Sanibel Island Light. 
Passed Cape Romano. Ran close in Cape Sable, where the 
shore w’as covered with a cocoanut grove that seemed to be 
at least one mile square. Through our glasses we could see 
clusters of green nuts and the feathery, swaying tops of the 
palms, while under them and in their shade was the house 
and other buildings of the owner. A small wharf extended 
out from this place. Water only eight feet deep for miles 
along these shores, so we stood off shore and soon lost sight 
of land and did not see it again as our course took us across 

28 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROYER 


the great Florida Bay, full of shoals, keys and sand, mud 
and coral banks. This lonely bay is where the Key West 
spongers come and spend three to seven weeks cruising 
around, only hooking sponges when the water is clear so 
the bottom of the sea can be seen. Each schooner and sloop 
has three or four men and three small boats. They go 
away from the big boats and hunt for beds of good sponge. 
They have a water glass and through it can see the bottom 
clearly; hooks on thirty-foot poles. The sponges are jerked 
from their place on the sea bottom and from the small boats 
are taken onto the schooners, where they are beaten and 
allowed to soak over side in water two or three days ; later 
placed six to fifteen on a string and hung in the rigging un- 
til a schooner gets her load and sails for Key West, where 
the sponges are sold. From the tip of Florida westward for 
nearly two hundred miles extends the great Florida Keys 
and coral reefs. The keys are all shapes and sizes, from one 
acre to twenty miles long. Some are simply mud-flats cov- 
ered with mangroves and few a stunted trees and bushes. 
Others, like Key Largo, contain towns and groves of or- 
anges, limes, also farms of corn, melons, beans and tomatoes 
that are grown by the schooner load, as are sweet potatoes. 
These kevs have a solid coral rock base and there seems to 

1/ 

bs no soil, yet they are very fertile and fine products are 
grown. We saw four-inch morning glories on the solid coral 
rocks. Strange flowers, trees and vines grow on these is- 
lands. Bananas, guavas, “seven-year apples” and cocoanuts 
are growing on many of these keys. However, few have fresh 
water. On the mud banks, sandy shores and coral reefs off 
these keys are found many beautiful shells, corals, sea fans 
and many odd sea curios. We collected conch, fulger, 
crown, banded tulip and other odd shells, also sea-beans, sea- 
cocoanuts and at least fifteen other kind of tropical seeds 
and nuts that have floated from the Gulf Stream that flows 
only two or three miles off the Keys. 

Day by day we cruised along these strange islands — 
now going ashore and walking along the surf line — now go- 
ing out to a coral bank that the falling tides exposed, yet 
in places water covered them four to eight inches deep. 
Walking over these banks we would soon get an armful of 
big conch shells, or bits of coral, large crabs, many small 
shells and sea-growths like “Neptune shaving brushes,” odd 
sea-plants, beautiful polished “cowry” shells. Here and 
there we would find a star-fish and great dark six-inch 
sharp-spined sea urchins. Strange birds, diving pelicans, 
white terns, sea-gulls, snipe and many other beautiful birds 

29 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


were seen. On the Keys the mocking birds sang as the day 
was dawning, and in the quiet hour of sunset, when tropic 
evening drew nigh, or in the calm starlight nights we could 
hear them, there in the dark trees, on the island's shore, 
breaking into song. The morning showed the great Florida 
Bay to the north with it's many little wooded keys, flashing 
in the sunshine, or dark green as a cloud passed across the 
sun. The line of keys extending for miles east and west, 
with the railroad, it's concrete trestles extended for seven 
miles in one place. The entire railroad covers 110 miles, 
and that's at sea, for the road runs over islands for a hun- 
dred miles. It cost fifty million dollars to build it. 

Our time went fast here. We sailed nine miles to a 
key where the postoffice and store are located, and back 
again to Bayo Hondo, where we met “English Joe," the 
shell-man. He lives alone with two cats and a dog on this 
island.and his house is one great museum containing his tax- 
idermy work, among which are mounted fish, sharks, mount- 
ed crabs, the two pet (?) snakes and thousands of shells, 
bottles, boxes, barrels of 'em, sea-plumes, sea-fans, corals, 
star-fish and treasures of endless tides. 

Sitting in the schooner's cabin o' evenings what yarns 
we three captains told ! What times all hands had on a re- 
turn visit ashore roaming over the Keys, collecting, visiting 
Joe's garden, looking at the queer “seven year apples," 
bananas, cocoanuts and other trees, carrying water from the 
spring, collecting shells, corals, sponge and the planks, boxes 
and barrels that came ashore, or happy hours spent looking 
over the houseful of shells and curios. Here, on leaving for 
Key West, the young and gifted photoman and artist, Harry 
Freash, of Tampa, was left with the shellman to paint sun- 
sets, marine and fish views and study amidst nature's gard- 
ens of sea and land. 

Captain Drake and I sailed one morning for Marathon, 
in a stiff breeze. Getting there we shipped the writer's col- 
lections, and then passing out through the large Knights 
Key drawbridge, sailed from the Gulf into the Atlantic, 
and westward up the Hawk Channel, behind the great Flor- 
ida reefs, for Key West. With single reefs in fore and main 
sail, we made the forty-five mile run from 1 till 5:30. Run- 
ning dead before the wind and with a choppy sea following, 
we raced along, passing island after island, going by a gas 
tub-bot — everything. Away ahead we would see a point of 
land seeming to have three to four cocoanut trees on it, yet 
at our speed in thirty minutes it showed up as a “key" one 
to five miles long, with hundreds of cocoa palms on it ; then 

30 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


way back between it and the next island we would see more 
keys filled with green wooded trees and white houses and 
the ever present concrete railway trestles on them. Around 
us flew frigate birds, great ocean wanderers from the trop- 
ics. Tarpon leaped out of the water as did the jacks and 
porpoise. Nearing Key West we passed two old Spanish 
forts, one covering at least two aci'es of space and one in the 
edge of the city was smaller and is being torn down. These 
old forts must be at least three hundred years old. We pass- 
ed into Key West Harbor just as the sun was sinking over 
the Keys and Gulf to the westward. A narrow band of cloud 
in passing across the sun’s face seemed to cut it in two. The 
sun shown blood red. It’s red light passing over the city 
and buildings looked very queer. Up the channel we passed 
’round the coal bunkers into the harbor, where lay the sev- 
enty-five small fishing sloops and sponge fleet of schooners, 
yachts from up North, coasting trade schooners and large 
steamers along their docks anchored here. 

Met port pilots, spongers, yachtsmen, etc. A British 
Naval Collier steamer came in and laid here for four days. 
Captain Drake recalled having seen her in London thirty 
years ago and said she’d been built as a yacht for the King 
of Siam. Laying here the writer and Captain Drake went 
over these notes, and I wrote eight hours daily on this book 
while waiting for my steamer for Tampa. One day ashore it 
rained so hard in forty minutes that water ran over shoe- 
top deep, and Captain Drake got his small boat full of water. 
This he placed in his tanks, as rain water is all that can 
be had in Key West and one has to buy it too ! Key West is 
a queer, foreign-looking place. It’s yards and gardens are 
full of cocoanuts and other palms, queer plants, strange 
trees and odd flowers and nuts from the tropics. Quite 
warm here. Many large cigar works, a turtle cannery where 
turtle soup is put up, a sponge exchange and many fish 
docks. From Key West to Havana, Cuba, daily goes the great 
car-ferry steamer “H. M. Flagler.” It is very high in the bow, 
yet the stern is open same as a street car-barn. It has four 
long railroad tracks in it’s hold and they run in thirty-two 
loaded freight cars and carry them to Cuba, where they are 
run over local railroads. 

Captain Drake spent his time here in going over his 
schooner, getting in sea stores, food and water for his trip 
into the Bahama Islands. There are over two thousand is- 
lands there and he intended cruising through the islands, 
later running to the East Coast of Florida and then on up 
the coasts North, where he will cruise for three more years 

31 


THE LOG OF THE LONE SEA ROVER 


on his wonderful voyage; so from Key West Harbor both 
the reader and the writer bids Captain Drake and the 
schooner “Sir Francis” good-bye. 


THE BOLD SEA ROVER 


As merrily o’er the foam he speeds, 

The Honorable Captain Drake, 

With sail all set, what does he heed ? — 

He’s like the bird whose name he takes ; 

With Pinions spread, he’s free. 

The sawdust pile he’s left behind, 

And weather vane now holds his eye ; 

No grunting hogs or lowing kine — 

His farming’s done, he plows the brine. 

When gentle breezes softly blow 
The sound’s to him a gale ; 

He sings such songs as “Yo, Heave Ho,” 

And revels in sea-faring tale. 

From slumbers calm, the morning sun 
His gladsome vision greets, 

Of wooded slopes, majestic, grand, 

And towering, snow-clad peaks. 

Some little vagrant wisp of cloud, 

Like albatross, o’er his mast — 

Perhaps old White Horse gave it birth, 

The remnants of a blast. 

From raging winds some cove to find 

To anchor safe he seeks, 

All fast on deck, in cabin warm, 

Tom sleeps, sweet, restful sleep. 

—LAND LUBBER. 


32 



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